TO DO

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Those pesky To-Do lists—

I have them everywhere. There is a notebook on my phone and a file on my computer. There are multiple written lists in diaries and spiral binders, on notepads with kitty themes, and we can’t forget those little scraps of paper. I have a list titled Old Stuff To Do that I never look at; another To Do Eventually; yet another To Do Sooner; and a current list with no title which is the one I work from most often. Then there’s the list of things to do TODAY! It’s usually an improvised jot meant only for those imminent things I really must do, though it often grows out of all proportion, getting longer instead of shorter the way it’s supposed to.

Needless to say, I have a list specifically for writing tasks such as blog ideas, interviews, and deadlines. Since it’s summer, there’s a gardening list as well, though some of it—the big stuff like digging out the peony bed—carries over from year to year. “Fix the deck” had been on that list for a decade until just recently when my husband finally put in a patio. Next: the Catio!

Sometimes when I don’t look at a list for a while, the items go away of their own accord. Other times, I can’t remember what they mean, as with this one:

Multi Pass random (or radon?) rewrite X 5 (S?) passes

incinerate

If you have any idea what I was trying to tell myself, please let me know. Otherwise, this scrap is going into the recycle.

 

But at the end of the day, 

does all this list-making improve my quality of life? In a way, it’s necessary. I’m a bit obsessive and have a less than perfect memory, so unless I write things down, I’m either a) constantly going over them in my head, or b) trying to remember what they were so I can go over them in my head.

What would it be like to let go, to have no need of lists? To be free from obligation and chores? To live in the moment? I do that when I’m writing, though I suppose that’s not exactly living. 

I wrote a poem…

HOW A WRITER IS LIKE A CAT, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

 

Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash

I just adopted a cat—another one—and as I watched this new boy do his cat thing, it suddenly occurred to me why my writer’s lifestyle fits so fluidly with that of the clowder*.  There are exceptions of course, like when Tyler thinks breakfast should be at five in the morning. I’m not an early riser and I don’t do anything before coffee. But in many ways, we are very much alike. 

Crazy in the wee hours.

Writers are known to get some of their best story ideas in the middle of the night. My cat Tyler seems to think that’s a pretty good time to dash around the house like a mad thing—not so different from me typing feverishly on my laptop at 3:00 a.m. 

Solitary among others.

Cats are aloof, no matter where they are. There may be ten other cats in the room, yet each of them rests in their own little bubble. Though some writers are gregarious, many are introverts whose way of adapting to life with people is to create a personal space for themselves alone. 

Tight focus.

Have you ever watched a cat go after a moth? They are fixated on their prey to such an extent that their skin twitches and their pupils dilate. It’s as if there is nothing else in the world. When I’m writing, I become so focused in my work that time ceases to exist. A gun could go off and I might not notice. 

Photo by Bill Stephan on Unsplash

Routine.

Anyone who knows cats has learned, one way or another, that cats thrive on routine. They have an established schedule and are unhappy when that schedule is interrupted or changed. Writers often share that respect for routine and can get very nasty when someone intrudes on their designated writing period. 

Some people won’t like us.

Just as some humans suffer from ailurophobia, there are those who don’t like writers either. “Dislike” may be too strong a word. Perhaps “misunderstand” would be more accurate. There is a misconception that a writers’ life is easy, merely jotting down stories on paper and picking up million dollar checks. If that were truly the case, I’d be jealous too, but unfortunately it’s not. 

Naps.

All creative endeavors require rest. Napping with cats restores energy to both cat and human.

Photo by Tucker Good on Unsplash

 

There are other ways writers are like cats, at least I enjoy thinking it’s so.

That’s all for meow.

 

*Clowder: a group of cats.

Cat Writer Mollie Hunt is the author of the Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mysteries featuring Lynley Cannon, a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip, and the Cat Seasons Sci-Fantasy Tetralogy where cats save the world. She also pens a bit of cat poetry. 

You can find Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer on her blogsite: www.lecatts.wordpress.com

Amazon Page: www.amazon.com/author/molliehunt

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/MollieHuntCatWriter/

@MollieHuntCats

Sign up for Mollie’s Extremely Informal Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/c0fOTn

MY WRITING PROCESS – INSIDE A WRITER’S MIND, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

 

I was born to write. I love being alone. I love being quiet. I absolutely adore running around inside my head. The only time I’m really at peace is when I’m writing. 

This realization didn’t come about easily. In a society that rewards extraversion, I spent years hiding my desire to be left alone. Then one night I sat down at the computer and began to write a story. Forty pages later, I knew I had found something important to my life. 

That first forty pages turned into 450, a mystery called “The Oldest House.” I loved the way the story revealed itself to me, taking its own twists and turns. I loved the freedom I felt when I was writing it. When finished, I enthusiastically sent it to publishers and agents and got my first round of rejection slips. That didn’t stop me from writing, just from sending queries. I soon settled into my second mystery, “Broken Roses.” 

Noted sci-fi author David Gerrold said in his Worlds of Wonder workshop that the first million words are practice. That sounds like a lot, but if you truly love to write, they just happen. By the time I found myself penning my first Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery, I had hit that million mark. And I’d learned so much along the way. 

I am now working on my 8^th and 9^th Crazy Cat Lady mystery, and I have the process down. Here’s how it goes:

 1. The initial idea.

The first glimmer of a thought that could be a story that could be a book comes in many forms. It can be a writer’s prompt or something you see at the store. It can be a dream. I often think of a title and work from there. Cat Café was such a story. I loved the idea of cat cafés, and took off from there. 

2. The thrill of the first draft.

Once I’ve got my idea, it’s time to run with it. I try not to think too much as I pen that initial draft; just let the story lead me. I don’t fuss over grammar or wording—that can be fixed later. If I require research, I make a note to come back. This is the fun stuff, riding on the wings of pure creativity. 

3. The work begins: the second and third (and possibly fourth) draft.

Now for the real work, editing and revision. During these run-throughs, I check for flow and continuity, for gaps and discrepancies, for plot holes, and for anything that doesn’t seem right to me. I use an ongoing outline, a cast of characters list, and a note page where I write whatever comes to mind. Yes, I do use color-coding. 

4. The print-out/read-through. (Red pen required)

After all those edits, the manuscript should be perfect, right? Unfortunately it usually isn’t. This is when I print it out and read it out loud to my cats. Seeing the words on paper reveals typos and overused words. Reading out loud shows the flow of the wording. This is especially importing with conversations. Ask yourself, do people really talk like that, or am I channeling Agatha Christie?

 5. The beta readers.

Now that I’ve fixed the problems I found in the read-through, it’s time to hand off the red pen to someone else. As the writer, I instinctively fill in gaps that would be glaringly obvious to others, but another reader will catch those things and more. I have a list of questions for the beta reader to answer once she’s finished reading, such as, “When did you realize who the killer was?” and the ever-revealing, “Did you like it?” (Please, please say yes!)

 6. The editor.

I love my editor. She’s smart, savvy, and knows where to put the commas. Once the manuscript is as perfect as I can hope for it to be, I say goodbye to it for a little while to let her do her magic. It takes time as we go back and forth with questions and comments. Then, voila, it comes back to me a fully formatted book!

 

7. Revising with the proof copy.

I publish through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing because it’s easy and free. I begin with the print version which allows me to order a proof copy. Once the proof is in my hand, it’s red pen time again. In the same way the print-out revealed mistakes, reading the actual book shows up lingering issues. I know we were taught not to write in books, but get over it and use that red pen!

 8. Finishing touches.

There are things a writer must do that go along with publishing, such as cover design, back cover blurb, front and back matter, bio, and links. Blurbs are hard for me, so I often begin working on them long before the book is finished. For Cat Café, I wrote one of my most well-received mini-blurbs though I still had no idea where the story was going: “A body is found in the cat café, and all the black cats are missing.”

 9. Do it all over again!

Congratulations! The book is done and out! Celebrate, then it’s time to get on to the next one.

About Mollie Hunt: Native Oregonian Mollie Hunt has always had an affinity for cats, so it was a short step for her to become a cat writer. Mollie Hunt writes the award-winning Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series featuring Lynley Cannon, a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip, and the Cat Seasons sci-fantasy tetralogy where cats save the world. She also pens a bit of cat poetry.

 

Mollie is a member of the Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, the Cat Writers’ Association, and Northwest Independent Writers Association (NIWA). She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and a varying number of cats. Like Lynley, she is a grateful shelter volunteer.

 

You can find Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer on her blogsite: www.lecatts.wordpress.com

Amazon Page: www.amazon.com/author/molliehunt

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/MollieHuntCatWriter/

@MollieHuntCats

 

 

RESEARCH and YOUR TV, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

Television- the seductive mind-suck that most of us find ourselves indulging in on a daily basis. Couch potato? Not me. 

I'm a writer, so for me, watching TV is a form of research. I write fiction, so when I view Midsomer Murders, Miss Marple, or Murder She Wrote, it stokes the fires of my cozy imagination. Doctor Who, Star Trek, Angels and Demons, and Gormenghast serve as flights of fancy to inspire my sci- fantasy series. Though I don't write police procedurals or thrillers, a well-composed series like True Detective, Bosch, or Unforgotten is useful. Even the old standbys like NCIS have something to offer. 

For an added bonus, turn on closed captioning as an insight into how to write realistic conversation and dialog. 

But... 

There is a bit if translation necessary to make these inspirations my own. Though Perry Mason may be the go-to lawyer show, a lot has changed since 1970. Unless I'm writing a retro thriller, I'll need to get more information from other sources. And though Agatha Christie may be the queen of mystery, her solutions might not work in today's society. 

Yes, television is a righteous research tool, but I must not get so wrapped up in their story as to lose sight of mine. 

Here's a little exercise: Pause whatever you're watching, and write a paragraph about the scene. Use colors, patterns, sound and sense as well as conversation. Read it back to yourself. Could a reader envision the scenario? Have you made it your own? 

Besides the shows I mentioned, here are some others that have inspired me: 

Torchwood

Stargate 

The Orville 

The Hobbit (not lotr) 

Blade  Runner 

Laura 

Gotham 

Father Brown 

Murdoch Mysteries 

Brokenwood Mysteries 

The Bridge/Bron 

Inspector Morse/Inspector Lewis/Endeavor

Shetland

Conan the Barbarian (original Arnie version)

Mystery Road

Glitch season 1

The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes/Sherlock

Anything with David Tennant except the ones about serial killers 

One last comment: I am writing this on my phone. I do not recommend it.

COVID-BRAIN, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

Are you feeling strange? A slump in energy? A change in writing habits? An excess of anxiety? Do you spend an inordinate amount of time on the couch watching movies? Maybe even old television series you would not have bothered with before this grand isolation came about? Do you eat at odd hours, wake during the night, sleep later than usual, take a nap (or two) during the day?

For a while, many eons ago last March and April, many of us went crazy cleaning, gardening, cooking, playing with pets. But that burst of savage energy wound down at some point, and here we are, dead in the water. A friend of mine calls it Covid-brain. It's not that we have the virus, but our lives are impacted by it just the same.

Some of us are sick with headaches, body aches, fatigue, stomach and gut issues. Do you wonder at times, Is this it? Do I have it? Am I going to die? Or has the situation induced an anxiety episode or brought on depression? Those of us who live with mental health issues are always on the brink of a fall. Since depression and anxiety can be triggered by nothing whatsoever, the fact life as we know it has changed, that a deadly virus threatens our lives and the lives of our loved ones, that leadership is lacking and the country is divided, the fact that we are not the only country to be falling apart, the fact that some people think it’s okay to threaten others... oh, God, need I go on? Yeah, if we don’t have anxiety by now, we’re not paying attention.

I am an optimist. I believe everything that’s happening is moving us on a path that needs to be taken if we are to find peace. But lately it’s been hard to see past the symptoms of upheaval to the better things to come.

I am writing 3 books. One is a sci-fantasy about cats changing the world. (Oh, how I wish those kitties could jump in and save us now!); one is the first of a new cozy series; and one is the seventh in another set of cozies. I can still do that, though for the first time, I find myself wondering why I bother. My sales aren’t great and I have no heart for advertising. I finally recognized the feeling I’d been carrying around for the past month as, “I give up.”

I give up.

But I’ll still keep on writing and taking care of cats.
I will be a good person.
I will not hate.
I will not ridicule.
I will try to empathize with every single person.
If that’s not enough in the face of global bedlam, tough.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

Ever wonder where writers find the names for their characters? With billions of names floating around, how does one go about choosing the right one for each person in a book?

For me, most of my characters’ names just appear out of nowhere. The tall, elderly man is most certainly Ellery. The slightly dotty collectibles dealer is Dovey, as in lovey-dovey. The dead man is Jonathan Chambers, I don’t know why. He’s dead. I don’t even know what he looks like. But I know his name.

Then there are some characters that defy this sort of cosmic inspiration. The hero of my new mystery series eluded me for quite some time. A septuagenarian who solves crimes with the aid of a ghost cat seemed like a perfect Agatha, but there are far too many of those sleuthing around cozy mysteries as it is. Same with Amelia. Clarissa wasn’t quite right, and neither was Camella. I finally lit upon Camelia, like the flower, and this one stuck. Stay tuned for Camelia Collins and her ghost cat Soji, coming next year.

Back when I was a reader, before I was a writer, I wondered what would make one author choose odd or unusual names and another pick the most common. Now that I find myself in their place, I realize every writer has their own system. I personally try to choose unique names for the sake of creating a memorable character.

As I said, most names come to me, but what if they don’t? There is always the internet, but I find those long, alphabetical name lists to be two-dimensional; it’s hard to connect first name with surname and be sure they fit. When I worked in filing, I’d write down names that caught my eye on a Post-it. (One name only so as not to break any HIPPA rules.) I’ve checked my FB friends and the phone book. Sometimes I pick something in the room. My character Guinness MacAngus from Cosmic Cat began in the kitchen of a house where I was live-in cat-sitting. The owners had a wooden Guinness Stout crate on top their fridge.

Covid-19 had changed how we do things in ways we could never have imagined. My sisters-in-laws get together with my husband and me to take walks in a cemetery. I know that may sound strange, but many of our loved ones reside on that peaceful hilltop. We can stroll around, a safe six feet apart, and enjoy the fresh air in relative isolation. As you can imagine, we look at the beautiful old gravestones, many dating back to the 1800s. On our last trek, I realized that here was a wealth of names, just waiting to become a character in a book!

So look ahead for first names Thana, Owen, Angeline, Ward, and Gabriel. Last names Christner, Service, Brichard, Noble, and Flutz. These, and more, are all ready to come to life in my stories. And next time you take a walk, see what character names might be right before your eyes.

How do you find your character names?

 You can read more from Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer on her blogsite, www.lecatts.wordpress.com.

DISTANCING, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

Today, sitting in my car outside the vet’s office waiting for my cat, I watch the cherry petals skim the street, the warm wind of April. Daffodils in the gardens, tulips in planter boxes outside the restaurants and cafés. But the cafés have big, hand-lettered signs on their doors, instructions how to order by phone, how receive your fare curbside. Much the same as I’m doing with my cat. 

Doctor calls me on the phone, interrupts my train of thought. I want to hear the news. She goes through her findings, her recommendations. I say yes to one and that I’ll get back to her about another, an ultrasound. Can I afford it now? 

The vet assistant returns to the car with the cat and a hand-held card machine. I put on my face covering and stick in my card—she never touches it. We chat for a minute: Are you doing okay? Are you staying safe? I thank her for being there in such a difficult time and am on my way. I pull out from my parking place effortlessly. There is barely any traffic. 

My cat seems better when I get home. I wash my hands and take off my shoes while he eats his medicine and goes for a nap. I sit down at the computer to write, but all I can do is think. 

For me, little has changed with the onset of the pandemic. I work at home, self-isolate by choice. In some ways, this suits me, since now I no longer must go outside... ever! (Except to take kitty to the vet) But though my life goes on much as normal, a multi-layered gloom hangs above me, squelching all joy that could be had. Uncertainty, fear, anger, change. I can only imagine how things will end.

And imagine I can because I am a fiction writer. I can envision both dystopia and paradise. The pandemic and all its many-tentacled effects causing the downfall of civilization. The pandemic, kick-starting a new age where people finally pull together. It’s already happening. Where some are looting and plundering, others are banding together in ways I never thought I’d see. I try not to let the dark side take me, try to stay firmly in sight of the light. 

I have been writing during this time. I even started a new book-to-be-a-series, something I haven’t done for a decade or more.

·       And I’m putting my Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mysteries out in large print and fully revising the first three.

·       And I’m working on a forgotten manuscript from the late nineties, updating the writing and content.

·       And Cat Conundrum, the next in the CCL series is with the beta reader.

·       And Cat Winter, the next in the Cat Seasons Tetralogy, is with my editor.

·       And Adventure Cat first draft (CCL#8) is about half way to finished.

When I look at this list, I see there is a madness to it. Maybe I’m afraid if civilization crumbles, no one will read books anymore. Maybe I want to get it all done before I die. Maybe I just want to hide myself in fantasy.

I’ve noticed something funny as I write, an awareness of the current social distancing practices and stay home decrees. I was working on a party scene when I found myself glowering at all those folks hanging so close together. Didn’t they know they should be at least six feet apart? And in street scene, I wondered, Why they aren’t wearing their face protectors? All those naked faces, all those possibilities of contagion and death. But my stories aren’t set in the Covid-19 universe, I remind myself. Those things don’t apply. Still, it’s greatly on my mind. 

I have no intention whatsoever of writing about a pandemic. I’ll leave the Zombie Apocalypse to writers better suited to tell that tale. I’m sticking to my cozy mysteries and an occasional fantasy where cats save the world (and not from plague). But even as I sit at my computer, cat on lap (helping), I am battered by what’s going on outside.

I am praying a lot. Praying for those who are sick and for their loved ones. For those working in dangerous situations. For those whose money is running out, whose job is lost, whose only hope is help from the government that is too little too late. I pray for those with anxiety, depression, and PTSD who now are left alone in their darkness. For the elderly who depend on others for their wellbeing.  

I also have a special prayer for those who think Covid is a hoax or a game or just don’t care if they spread death, because someday they may realize their mistake and be haunted by it. For those who see this crisis as a commercial opportunity, whether thief or businessman. (I pray they get what they deserve, and I’m not talking about money.)  

Most of all, I pray something good will come of this. 

Stay safe. Do good. See beauty. Feel joy.

One last note: I just added Covid to my Spell-check dictionary. Times alight with change.

About Mollie Hunt: Native Oregonian Mollie Hunt has always had an affinity for cats, so it was a short step for her to become a cat writer. Mollie Hunt writes the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series featuring Lynley Cannon, a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip, and the Cat Seasons sci-fantasy tetralogy where cats save the world. She also pens a bit of cat poetry.

Mollie is a member of the Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, the Cat Writers’ Association, and NIWA. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and a varying number of cats. Like Lynley, she is a grateful shelter volunteer.

You can find Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer on her blogsite: www.lecatts.wordpress.com

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/MollieHuntCatWriter/

@MollieHuntCats

Sign up for Mollie’s Extremely Informal Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/c0fOTn

HOW I SPENT MY WINTER VACATION, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

How do you picture your dream vacation? Fun in the sun? A writing retreat? Lots of great food? Maid service? No worries?

My recent trip to Cabo San Lucas was all those and more. Staying at an all-inclusive resort a ways out of Cabo, my husband and I had a suite right on the beach. From our room we could watch both the sunrise and the sunset. As an extra bonus, the Super Snow Moon made a showing during our stay as well.

Though Jim and I go to his timeshare in Mazatlán just about every year, this was my first experience with the all-inclusive plan. In Mazatlán, one of our favorite things to do is shop at the central market for fresh foods, then cook them in our room. Jim fishes on the beach and buys langoustines and shrimp from the fishermen. But the Cabo place was new to us, and a ways from town and shopping, so we decided to try something different.

It was fun not having to think about cooking (or cleaning up after) and one of the only times in my life I didn’t look at the prices. We enjoyed the many resort eateries. There was a bistro, a buffet, a Chinese and a Japanese restaurant. The Japanese outdoor place was my favorite, not only because of the great food, but it also had cats! A few friendly ferals popped in for a share of the bounty, and I was happy to give it to them. I didn’t see the sign saying not to feed the animals until after the deed was done.

We also enjoyed a fair share of room service, my guilty pleasure.  Getting breakfast delivered to our room facilitated the other favorite part of my holiday— working on my books. Ironically my story on takes place at the beach, but hundreds of miles north in the cold and rain of Washington state. Sitting on the warm, sunny balcony, it was sometimes difficult to put myself in the chill of those northern climes.

Writing, walking, smelling the flowers, eating way too much, sleeping in without having to feed and medicate cats— all those things made the past week a wonderful vacation. I’m glad to be back though. My cats missed me.

You can find more blogposts by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer on her blogsite: www.lecatts.wordpress.com

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/MollieHuntCatWriter/

@MollieHuntCats

Sign up for Mollie’s Extremely Informal Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/c0fOTn

THREE PICTURES, by by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

I’m looking at a picture of my parents. My father in a plaid shirt and turtleneck, standing arms across his chest, smiling. My mother sitting, outside somewhere, the green of grass for background. Legs crossed ladylike, cigarette in hand. She is smiling too.

I realize with a start that they are my age... I am their age... the age they were in that picture, I am now.

The picture has been on that shelf for some time. I have lived in this house over thirty years, though it doesn’t seem possible. When I put the photos in their double brass frame, I was much younger. My parents may still have been alive. Now it comes around. They are gone, I am old. I will be following soon.

Okay, maybe not that soon. I’m healthy, reasonably. I’m not staring down the jaws of death or any such. All is well, in fact. No lost abilities, yet. But I can read the writing on the wall. It’s right there in the photos: my parents, happy and enjoying life one day; gone the next.

There is something else I read in that picture though. I look closer, at the smiles, the twinkling eyes. They’re not hiding away, dreading what will inevitably come. Live life now, they say in those captured images.

There are two other photos on the shelf. I didn’t intentionally group them, more like set them in a spot where they fit. But now as I look, the fit is more apt than mere spacing. The fit is perfect.

One is a photo I’ve always loved, taken by my father when we were at the beach. I was in my twenties, tresses blowing against the perfect blue sea. My son, age three, sits in my lap, all blonde hair, soft skin, and possibilities. We are holding a beach ball.

I remember the time, sad now that there hadn't been more of them, that I hadn’t been more mindful, too busy in my own life and friends. Still, for that moment, we were a happy family. I have a picture to prove it.

The third photo, also taken by my father, is of my mother, my grandmother, and me. It was shot from behind as we walked hand in hand in Laurelhurst Park. The year was 1953, which would put my mother at forty-two and my grandmother in her sixties.

In spite of the white hair which makes her look older, I am currently the age my grandmother was then. I know what happened after that picture. I know about the gradual debilitation, the nursing home, the stroke, the death. She, on the other hand, walks with her family through a sunlit park, blissfully ignorant. She is looking at me, the tiny girl with her whole life ahead of her. I feel sad and sorry, having dashed her hopes with my wandering ways.

But maybe she would have liked me anyway.

Check out more blogs by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer at:

Mollie Hunt: Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and more

Happy reading!

WRITERS’ BLOCK, by Mollie Hunt, CatWriter

One of my most useful writing tips came from an unlikely source in an unlikely place. The place was a mega-Star Trek convention in Las Vegas; the source was William Shatner, known best for his role as Captain Kirk in the short-run but long-lived Star Trek, the 1966 to 1969 original series. 

To be fair, Bill Shatner has written a multitude of  books of his own. Goodreads lists 95 with 61784 ratings at an average of 3.78. He has several sci-fi & sci-fi series (yes, he brought Captain Kirk back to life after his untimely movie death in Star Trek Generations) as well as non-fiction. His most recent are Leonard, memoir about his long-term friendship with Leonard Nimoy, and Spirit of the Horse: A Celebration in Fact and Fable, a subject Mr. Shatner knows and loves. And we mustn’t forget his 1999 classic, Get a Life! where he mocks the Trekkies for not having anything better to do than play Star Trek. (A stance he recently rescinded after setting out on a mission to discern the true meaning of Star Trek and its hold over a legion of devotees. “Though Star Trek’s fandom may be rooted in science-fiction,” he writes, “it revolves, and thrives, around friendship, belonging, love, hope, and understanding.”)

 

Shatner is no slacker, in fact he’s one of the most driven people I know. He dives into his projects with passion and enthusiasm. He pushes himself to deliver the best he can create. He seeks and learns with every accomplishment. So with 95 books under his belt, (even if a number of those have been co-written) he has to have gained some perspective on the craft. At the convention, on stage with 15,000 Trekkies watching, he proved it. 

The format for the con’s guest stars usually begins with a few minutes of talk and then questions from the audience. Most of the questions for Mr. Shatner have to so with Star Trek and his famous role as Captain Kirk. “What was your favorite episode?” “ Tell us some of the behind-the-scenes anecdotes.” “Why aren’t you in the new movies?” But one young man asked another sort of question: 

“What do you do when you get writer’s block?”

Shatner didn’t hesitate. “When you get writer’s block,” he said, “it’s because you’ve gone wrong somewhere in the story. Go back to the last place that your story worked and start from there.”

Simple. Elegant. True. 

People ask me why I go to Star Trek conventions? I can honestly say that, among other things, it’s to get writing advice from William Shatner.

Next time: A revelation from another Star Trek writer alum, David Gerrold.

Check out more blogs by Mollie Hunt at:

Mollie Hunt: Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and more 

 

Happy reading!